China: New webpage reunites families affected by Sichuan earthquake

24-04-2013 News Release 13/79

Beijing (ICRC) – The Red Cross Society of China has launched a major operation to rescue and assist people affected by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Sichuan province on 20 April. The ICRC has created a special page on its Family Links website to help people trace their relatives.

This earthquake left close to two hundred dead, with as many as 11,000 people wounded. "Families have been dispersed in the aftermath of the earthquake, which destroyed homes and forced people to displace," said Thierry Meyrat, head of the ICRC delegation in China. "Some of those injured are also being treated in hospitals far from their homes in Sichuan province. We hope this dedicated webpage will help people find their loved ones."

China Red Cross relief response teams, comprising 400 staff and volunteers from across the country, are in the stricken area and have been distributing food, drinking water, tents, blankets and other essentials to those affected by the earthquake. Red Cross volunteers are also providing medical care, medicine and relief supplies, as well as providing psychological support.